Northstar Vale I clutched your arms like stairway railings.

Ibis had ushered her daughters back in to the den prematurely that day, not that they minded as the humidity was soaring and they were all feeling the heat. At least the den was cool and shaded beneath the trees. She made sure that Viinturuth was stationed nearby; then, after a brief word with Akavir to assuage any of his worries (Its just for an hour or two. A little break. I'll be right back. Stretching my legs.) she nimbly wove her way out of the tangle of forest.

As the muggy air touched her cheeks she thought she'd feel a little more free. Maybe a little bit of relief. Instead there was a stickiness to the air that Ibis did not enjoy at all; the clouds were thick and puffy overhead - they hid the sky, and blanketed the vale so that it was sweltering for all who lived within it. A run would only dehydrate her, she reasoned; but Ibis only had a short window of time to herself, so she took off down the hillside at a trot, which picked up and became a fleet-footed race across the grass.